Best hike this year, so far. Sweetgum Loop

Brandy probably did more like 10 miles

Well, my concerns about the likelihood of completing a hike on January first were valid. My roommate came into my room with the promise of brunch and mimosas. That turned into an all day affair filled with amazing food and game playing and a few trips to the gas station to get more champagne. Needless to say, it was equally as difficult to motivate myself to try for a hike on January Second. Luckily, I was wearing my new pajama jeans that my mother gave me, so I didn't even have to change to go hiking. I am very glad that I decided to get off the couch, and so is Brandy.

I arrived at the Red Top Mountain State Park, and purchased my first, yearlong parking membership to Georgia's State Parks, and I had to do that in the visitor's center. Brandy waited patiently, while barking and wining outside. The visitor's center was a nice one. It had a little gift shop and a few aquariums to observe. I had apparently underestimated the weather and was freezing in the short time I had spent in the parking lot. So, I purchased a beautiful zip up jacket from the gift shop; I was not giving up on my decision to hike even if I had to spend money. 

The plan was to do the Iron Mine hike, but, by the time I had gotten my parking pass all figured out, Brandy was jonesin' to get going. She was whining to get on the hike, and the trail head for the Iron Mine required a little bit more driving. I didn't have the heart to stick her back into the car, so I chose a hike that had a trail head in the visitor's parking lot. We started on the Sweetgum Loop trail, a 3.5 mile hike.

Difficulty
Extremely Easy. It was flat, and not very long. The trail itself was wide and easy to follow. Everything was well marked, except for one part where you have to cross a parking lot.

Natural Beauty

Dry lake bed made a great place for Brandy to run around.

Fair. The scenery was a typical Georgian forest. Pine needles covered the entire path. I was expecting more water along the path since it is so close to lake Altoona. However, I guess because of the drought, there wasn't much for Brandy to drink up. It put the opposite of a damper on the scenery. Once you cross the parking lot, you follow the road for a while. Seeing human made items halfway through decreased the natural experience. I prefer not to see pavement on my hikes.

Dog Friendliness
Good. I took Brandy off the leash pretty early in the hike, and I ran into another woman with her dog off the leash. Like I said, there wasn't much water for her to drink, but there was some. The trees weren't too thick, so I was able to keep my eye on her. She seemed to enjoy running around on the hike, big surprise. The main problem was the portion that followed the road. Brandy had to stay on the leash for that period. As mentioned before, Brandy and I hate leases, but she handled it well.

Lunch spot

Picnic-ability
Great. Towards the end of the hike, Brandy and I stopped for a little snack. The hike isn't quite long enough to warrant a full picnic, but I did have half a sandwich. Brandy mainly just ran around looking for squirrels. My snack was a sandwich from Candler Park Market. Chicken deli meat with avocado and sprouts and a chipotle sauce. The bread overpowered the sandwich a little, but it was a good sandwich.

There were a lot of great picnic places. The spot I chose was on the bridge to the left. I like bridges because your feet can dangle over while you eat, but they can be tricky due to hiker traffic. There was also a nice bench at about the half-way point that would be good for a rest. Because most of the hike was pretty flat, there were also quite a few nice picnic spots along the way. I will rate this hike high on picnic-ability.

In final, the hike was nothing special. However, it is the only one I've done this year, so it's the best so far! I am very happy that I went on the hike. It was a simple hike, but I am glad I got off my lazy butt and into nature. 

Mental Enrichment: Always check the weather.